Julian Assange Arrested In London

The Associated Press is reporting WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has surrendered to London police this morning, as part of an investigation surrounding a Swedish sex-crime. This would be the latest in a string of blows to WikiLeaks,an organization that has recently faced a lot of problems since releasing a number of leaked documents, most recently a tranche of secret U.S. diplomatic cables that as brought some unrest and embarrassment to U.S. diplomatic efforts.

Assange was due at Westminster Magistrate’s Court later Tuesday. If he challenges his extradition to Sweden, he will likely be remanded into custody or released on bail until another judge rules on whether to extradite him, a spokeswoman for the extradition department said on customary condition of anonymity.

Since beginning to release the cables last week, WikiLeaks has seen its bank accounts canceled, its web sites attacked and the U.S. government launch a criminal investigation, saying the group has jeopardized national security and diplomatic efforts around the world. It has also seen supporters come to its aid by setting up over 500 mirror sites around the world.